Episode 69: A history mystery in Kate Grenville’s The Country Schoolmaster + Moya Costello’s classic The Office as a Boat back on the shelves

Was gold miner turned country headmaster Joseph Connor a hero or a villain? When Kate Grenville found a series of 19th century letters either praising him or condemning him, her curiosity was piqued. In ‘The Country Schoolmaster, A Mystery in 88 Letters’ she works her way through the letters trying…

Fyodor Dostoyevsky & the Long 19th Century

It’s November! The month I (Payton) have eagerly awaited all year! It’s the month we read WHITE NIGHTS by Fyodor Dostoyevsky in partnership with our friends at Fiction Distilling, who recently released their first vodka inspired by the classic novella. In this first episode of the month, Amy school…

We Made Our Supervisor Watch Twilight | Amy & After Dark

This week we thwarted all of Amy's attempts to pick a different movie (of which there were several) and sat her down to experience Twilight for the very first time. Join us for a post-movie discussion as we explain the plot of the remaining films in the Twilight saga to Amy (from vampire veganism t…

BOOKCLUB: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Welcome to BOTM: Interview with the Vampire. This book might be a classic but it can still give you an existential crisis! This week we dig into the Catholicism of Anne Rice's vampires, Louis' hypocrisy, the horror of a child vampire, and just why Louis is everyone's emotional support vampire. 📚 …

We're All Vampires: Patriarchy, Prions and Unhinged Academia

This week Amy, Abby & Payton get truly academic and discuss a scholarly article that they have not read; deep dive into the history of the undead and the "oops we promise we really thought they were dead"; examine themes of animalism, predation, patriarchy and violence in Twilight, Buffy, and The V…

Episode 68: Lauren Williams stylish suburban thriller "Neighbourhood Watch" + Jasmine Graetz’s self-published dragon fantasy "Dracorian Whispers"

Lauren Williams’ novel "Neighbourhood Watch" is set in a fictional Melbourne suburb, and the plot features a murder bizarre enough to rival British TV favorite "Midsomer Murders". Among the scarecrows in the annual Scarecrow Competition is a real dead body, that of a judge. Justice is the theme and…

Not Like the Other Girls: Teens and the vampires who love them

We're continuing Vampire month by diving deep into the world of teen vampires. Or vampires who fall in love with teens? Join us as we try to pick apart the "pick me" of it all, question why these old ass vampires are interested in teen girls, and the team once again explain how Edward got Bella pre…

F*** Marry Slay: Vampires Then and Now

Welcome to vampire month! It’s now October which means Halloween which means we get spooky which means we contemplate marriage and sex with crusty dusty vampires. Well, for a little bit. But mostly, in this first episode of the month, Amy, Justina, Harry and Millie are talking about their favourite…

BOOK CLUB: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews

Are you in need of a cathartic cry from a novel that leaves you feeling warm, optimistic, and craving lobster rolls? This week, the '&' of Amy & kick our host, Amy, off the pod so that we can talk candidly about her latest novel, THE TREASURE HOUSE (spoiler: we're obsessed). Join us as we discuss …

Becoming Your True Author Self: Interview with Amy Matthews

This week Justina, Abby & Millie are joined by the illustrious Amy Matthews for a conversation all about writing, publishing and The Treasure House. Join us as we delve into Amy’s writing process, hear about her journey into publishing, cry over her latest book and speculate on when all her various…